Contra Costa Herald

News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County, California

Police investigate Monday shooting in Walnut Creek as attempted murder

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By Lieutenant Tracie Reese, Walnut Creek Police

Walnut Creek Police Department is investigating a shooting that took place on Monday, January 20, 2020, after receiving a 911 call at 5:54 p.m. regarding the sounds of gunshots in the area of Riviera Avenue and Parkside Drive. Officers arrived on scene at 5:58 p.m. and found several bullet casings on the sidewalk on Riviera Avenue near Parkside Drive. Shortly thereafter, officers learned that a victim of a gunshot wound was dropped off at a nearby hospital. Officers were able to confirm that this victim was shot earlier near the intersection of Riviera Avenue at Parkside Drive. The victim is in critical condition but is expected to survive.

This investigation is in the early stages and information is limited at this point. Additional details will be provided as they become available. Based on preliminary information, investigators believe this is an isolated incident and do not believe there is an active threat to the community.

If anyone has information regarding this incident, please call Detective Gerstner at 925-943-5878. The WCPD Case Number: 20-2269.

Teen shot in face in Oakley Thursday afternoon, police seek shooter

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By Oakley Police Department

This afternoon, OPD Officers were dispatched to the report of an individual who had been shot at the intersection of Main Street and Hill Avenue.  As officers responded to the scene, Gehringer Elementary School was placed into lockdown as a precautionary measure.

Witnesses reported the suspect fled the area in a dark-colored sedan immediately after the shooting.

Upon arrival, officers learned that two individuals had been involved in a physical fight when a third individual approached the pair, drew a firearm, and fired a single shot striking one of the individuals.  OPD Officers arrived and provided first aid, along with a crew from the East Contra Costa Fire District and AMR.

According to Battalion Chief Jeffrey Burris, East Contra Costa Fire sent 10 personnel to the scene. E153 and AMR Medic 52 arrived on scene to find an eighteen year old male down in the street with a gun shot wound to the face.

Because of the severity of the injury, the victim was transported by air ambulance, CON Air-2 to the John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

Once the scene was safe, the elementary school was taken off of lockdown and students were released with officers present.

OPD Investigators are currently processing the crime scene and interviewing witnesses to the shooting event.

OPD Investigators are seeking assistance from members of the public regarding this incident. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact our tip line at OPD@ci.oakley.ca.us.

According to Oakley Police Sergeant Grubaugh this is the latest information they have.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Fairfield woman arrested for Alamo bank robbery Tuesday

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Linked to two other robberies in Pleasant Hill and Martinez

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

On Tuesday, January 21, 2020, at about 11:07 AM, Valley Station Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to the Union Bank on the 3100 block of Danville Boulevard in Alamo for a reported bank robbery. A woman apparently fled with some cash after threatening a bank teller.

Deputy Sheriffs, assisted by the Danville Police Department, immediately launched an investigation. The Crime Lab responded to the location.

During the investigation, 37-year-old Chelsea Michelle Smith of Fairfield, was identified as the suspect. Sheriff’s Office Detectives determined she was in the City of Fairfield and notified the Fairfield Police Department, which detained her.

Detectives later responded to Fairfield and arrested Smith who was then booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on a first degree robbery charge. She was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. Smith has since bailed out.

Smith appears to be linked to two other robbery incidents that occurred in Contra Costa yesterday. One was in Pleasant Hill and the other was in Martinez.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information on this case is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Investigation Unit at (925) 313-2600. Tips could be emailed to: tips@so.cccounty.us or call (866) 846-3592 to leave an anonymous voice message.

Following hours long stand-off, barricaded man brandishing gun removed from West County home Wed. morning

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Screenshot of KPIX CBS5 news report about the stand-off at a West Contra Costa County house on Wed., Jan 22, 2020.

By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

On Tuesday, January 21, 2020, at about 8:43 PM, Bay Station Deputy Sheriffs were dispatched to a report of a person with a gun at a home on the 2400 block of O’Toole Way in the Tara Hills neighborhood near San Pablo in unincorporated Contra Costa County.

A person apparently brandished a weapon and possibly fired some shots. There were no injuries.

Deputy Sheriffs attempted to make contact with the person but were not able to. At about 11:30 PM, the Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team and negotiators responded to the location. According to a KPIX CBS5 news report, the deputies surrounded the home.

Negotiators continued trying to make contact with him. The SWAT Team later this morning entered the home and detained the man.

The 30-year-old resident is not being identified. He was later taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Pleasant Hill man charged with production and possession of child pornography

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Daniel Joseph Feliciano. Photo by CCDA.

Defendant charged with creating video of sexual contact with nine-year old

OAKLAND – A federal grand jury indicted Daniel Joseph Feliciano charging him with producing and possessing child pornography, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin.

According to the indictment, Feliciano, 29, of Pleasant Hill, Calif., is alleged to have coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce a visual depiction of the conduct.  Feliciano is also alleged to have knowingly possessed child pornography. (See related article).

According to a criminal complaint filed December 12, 2019, in connection with this case, this investigation began with a series of tips sent in October and December 2019 to the CyberTipline maintained by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).  The tips, referred to as CyberTips by the NCMEC, contained reports from internet service providers to NCMEC as well as the actual files from the accounts being reported.  Investigators from the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force traced the files, that included depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, to an email account and an IP address in defendant’s name.

According to the complaint, the first CyberTip came from Dropbox in October 2019.  It contained a report and approximately 182 files, including three videos of prepubescent girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  Investigators discovered that the last IP address used to access the account could be traced to Feliciano.

In December 2019, several CyberTips alerted NCMEC regarding child pornography stored in a Google account.  The files included two videos of a 9- to 10-year-old child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  Investigators traced the Google account and the videos to Feliciano.

The indictment charges Feliciano with one count of production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a), and one count of possession of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2).

Feliciano is next scheduled to appear on February 18, 2020, at 1 p.m. before the Hon. Jeffrey S. White, U.S. District Judge.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted on the production of child pornography charge, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment, a minimum sentence of 15 years, five years to a life term supervised release, a fine of $250,000, a special assessment of $5,100, criminal forfeiture, and restitution.  If convicted on the possession of child pornography charge, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, five years to a life term supervised release, a fine of $250,000, a special assessment of $5,100, criminal forfeiture, and restitution.  However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Suspected child sexual exploitation may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-843-5678.  Indeed, a NCMEC tip led to the investigation in this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lee is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kay Konopaske and Kathleen Turner.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the HSI, the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Pleasant Hill Police Department.

Discovery Bay pilot convicted of making false statements to FAA

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Nicholas King Beyer from his Facebook page.

Lied about medical condition

SAN FRANCISCO – Nicholas King Beyer was convicted in United States District Court today of making false statements to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on pilot medical certification forms, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, Special Agent in Charge James Wahleithner; and U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General Regional Acting Special Agent in Charge Susan Ocampo.  The verdict was handed down today following a half-day bench trial before the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, U.S. District Judge.

Judge Breyer found Beyer, 34, of Discovery Bay, Calif., guilty on two counts of making false statements to the FAA, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2), and two counts of falsifying, concealing, or covering up material facts by trick, scheme, or device, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(1).

According to his Facebook page, Beyer is a flight instructor at SkyView Aviation, LLC, worked at USS Harry S. Truman, is a former ABH at United States Navy and former Navy firefighter at NALF Fentress, studies at ATP Flight School and at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and attended Liberty High School in Brentwood, CA.

Evidence at trial showed that Beyer made false statements on applications for an airman medical certificate, FAA Form 8500-8, which he submitted to the FAA in 2016, and again in 2018.  The FAA’s airman medical certificate process is the mechanism by which the FAA evaluates whether pilots are mentally and physically fit to fly.  The evidence showed that Beyer falsely stated on both of his Form 8500-8s that he had never been diagnosed with, did not have, and had never had a mental disorder of any sort; when in fact Beyer had been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2016.  The evidence also showed that Beyer falsely stated on the forms that he was only receiving disability benefits for knee and back injuries from the VA, when he was also receiving disability benefits for Major Depressive Disorder.

A federal grand jury indicted Beyer on August 23, 2018, charging him with two counts of making false statements to the FAA, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2), and two counts of falsifying, concealing, or covering up material facts by trick, scheme, or device, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(1).  Judge Breyer convicted Beyer on all four counts.

Judge Breyer scheduled the defendant’s sentencing hearing for April 22, 2020.

Beyer faces maximum statutory penalties of five (5) years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000, plus restitution for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2) and each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(1).  However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Shepard and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ward are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Hector Lopez.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.

Allen Payton contributed to this report.

Two Oakley Police Officers injured subduing man standing in middle of road Saturday evening

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By Allen Payton

About 5:40 p.m. officers were dispatched to a welfare check for a man standing in the middle of the road holding two suitcases in his hands, causing traffic to drive around him, according to Oakley Police Sergeant Rick Grubaugh.

When the officers arrived, “the subject immediately punched one officer in the face a couple of times,” he stated. “That turned into a 700-foot chase on Delta Road, which ended at Elvis (Lane). The first officer had tazed the suspect and the second officer tazed him a second time.”

A couple other officers arrived on the scene, Sgt. Grubaugh continued.

“We believe, due to a mental health condition, the man put up a struggle before officers were able to bring him into custody,” he said. “Delta Road was closed, and it took about 30 minutes to clear the scene.”

According to a witness, who lives in Knightsen and was on his way home at the time, about 10 police cars and multiple ambulances were on the scene and Delta Road was closed between Brentwood Blvd. and Sellers Road.

“Both the suspect and the officers were treated at the scene,” Grubaugh shared. “Then both officers were transported to John Muir Walnut Creek. The suspect was seen at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez and then booked at the county jail.”

Human Trafficking Day of Action in Richmond Thursday, January 23

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By Scott Alonso, Public Information Officer, Contra Costa District Attorney

Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton is proud to join the Richmond Police Department, the San Pablo Police Department, the 23rd Street Merchants’ Association, the Contra Costa County Family Justice Center, Community Violence Solutions, the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Task Force and the Contra Costa Human Trafficking Coalition in hosting Richmond’s Human Trafficking “Day of Action” on Thursday, January 23, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.

Inspired by California State Senate Bill 1193, the Day of Action intends to educate individuals on how to recognize signs of human trafficking and inform them on how they can help prevent it. Members of the business community are encouraged to participate by posting human trafficking awareness signs with resources for victims to reach out to. Our local businesses are the extra eyes of our community and can help significantly in combating the crime of human trafficking in Contra Costa County.

A training session will be presented from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m. at the Family Justice Center’s West County office located at 256 24th Street in Richmond. From there, attendees will form teams and talk with local businesses about putting up posters with resource information for people who may be experiencing forced or coerced labor or commercial sex. The outreach will occur from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend and join with law enforcement, city leaders and community organizers to make a difference in our community.

If you or someone you know has information regarding any acts or suspicions of human trafficking, please call the Contra Costa County Human Trafficking Hotline maintained by the District Attorney’s Office: 925-957-8658.

Local resources include Community Violence Solutions 24-hour resources line (800-670-7273) and Contra Costa’s Family Justice Center (925) 521-6366).

Contra Costa County was awarded a federal grant in October 2018 to form a Human Trafficking Taskforce that enhances collaboration between state, federal and local law enforcement and service providers for victims of both labor and sex trafficking.

 

Coroner’s inquest jury finds in custody death of El Cerrito woman was suicide

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By Jimmy Lee, Director of Public Affairs, Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff

Sheriff-Coroner David O. Livingston announces that a Coroner’s Jury has reached a finding in the April 13, 2019 death of 36-year-old Maria Barraza of El Cerrito. The finding of the jury is that the manner of death is a suicide. (See related article).

The Coroner’s Jury reached the 12-0 verdict after hearing the testimony of witnesses called by the hearing officer, Matthew Guichard.

A Coroner’s Inquest, which Sheriff-Coroner Livingston convenes in fatal incidents involving police officers, is a public hearing, during which a jury rules on the manner of a person’s death. Jury members can choose from the following four options when making their finding: accident, suicide, natural causes, at the hands of another person, other than by accident.

Pittsburg Police arrest shooting suspects following chase into Antioch Friday morning

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Pittsburg shooting suspects flee overturned vehicle. Photo: Pittsburg PD

Antioch Police Officers assisted

By Pittsburg PD

Early Friday morning, graveyard Officers were dispatched to the report of shots fired in the area of Gladstone Drive at Loveridge Road. Officers were circulating the area when a witness pointed out a vehicle that was traveling at a high rate of speed through the neighborhood and was related. Officers attempted to initiate a traffic enforcement stop, at which time the vehicle fled from Officers and a pursuit ensued. The pursuit continued into the city of Antioch where the vehicle collided into the curb and flipped over.

Both suspects (see photo) fled on foot but were subsequently taken into custody after a brief search. A search of the vehicle was conducted, and several shell casings and live rounds were located. Both suspects were placed under arrest for several charges. Thank you @antiochpdca for the assist!